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Teeling: Making Single Grain Whiskey Great Again

2016-11-07

Grain whisk(e)y seems to be experiencing quite a revival within malt maniacs’ hearts those past few years. What used to be seen as the ugly duckling (you know, this cheap stuff you add to Single Malt to make a blend…) of the whisky industry is quickly regaining some interest and even being recognised as a legit (M)alternative.

If a lot of independent bottlers have released some incredibly tasty expressions (Douglas Laing, Robert Graham…) most of them may happen quite pricey if you’re willing to start your grain discovery journey. Since I first tasted Teeling Single Grain a few years ago, it has always remained in my “top 10 great value drams” and one I would recommend to anyone willing to make their way into grain, and more generally, into whisk(e)y.

Teeling Single Grain is a no-aging statement (NAS) whiskey, sourced from Cooley, aged in Californian Cabernet Sauvignon barrels for around five years, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 46% abv

Nose: I simply can’t get enough of this heartwarming sweetness of vanilla, sweetened milk and dried fruits. Of course, some corn-ish aromas show on the nose, but more like in a nice caramel-glazed-popcorns way, quite reminiscent of some childish memories. If there’s something I really enjoy with whisky, is the way it can makes you travel without even leaving the comfort of your home, there’s really few products capable of this to me [in fact, there’s only whisky and pastries… And it happens that both go pretty well together ;)]. Sorry, disgressing. I can still pick up some subtle citrusy notes in this nose – in fact, just the right amount of “ziiiing” to prevent this sweet nectar from turning too predictable and flat.

Palate: silky and smooth but still pleasantly complex with sweet spices, cupcake frosting, cinnamon rolls and a hint of white pepper. There’s also the richness of the summer berries and nutty hints on the palate and this sort of rancio dryness most probably coming from the wine barrels used for its maturation. Overall, a suprisingly interesting and somehow complex dram for a 5-year-old boy which definitely participated in making grain whiskey “Great Again”! 😉